Ananda College Western Orchestra presents ‘DOLCE 2017’

The Western Orchestra of Ananda College, Colombo will proudly present ‘DOLCE 2017’ -- An evening of classical and contemporary orchestral music -- on September 3, 2017 from 5.30 p.m. onwards at the Kularathne Hall under the patronage of distinguished old Anandian, the Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya.

On September 3 from 5.30 p.m. onwards at the Kularathne Hall 

Tickets are priced at LKR 1,500, 1,000, 800 and 500 and will be available with any member of the orchestra and at the gate on the day of the concert. 

Contact 
0767307182 
for more information. 

The Orchestra was formed four years ago under the vision of the master in charge Nishantha Gunasekera, who has been the pillar of strength to the orchestra. 

The Orchestra has managed to reach many milestones in quite a short span of time. History was created at Ananda College last year as for the very first time an orchestra from Ananda participated at the all island orchestra competition. The orchestra emerged runners up under the baton of conductor Uthsara Malaweera Arachchi. 

This year too, the orchestra emerged runners up for the second consecutive time. The orchestra regularly participates at college functions and has performed at VIVACE concerts organised by the Western Music Association of Ananda College to date.

The orchestra also brings in seven instrumental instructors and trains and enters students for exams conducted by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) in London every year. A majority of the students in the orchestra are qualified by this exam board.

The orchestra is trained by old Anandian  Dr. Dilan Angunawela, who is a conductor of the National Youth Orchestra of Sri Lanka and a guest performer of the symphony orchestra of Sri Lanka. 

He is a founder member of the Colombo Wind Orchestra and a part of the Commonwealth Music Partnership, UK. 

Dr. Angunawela has been with the orchestra since its inception. He will be a guest conductor at DOLCE 2017. The orchestra was also trained by Mr. Toshiaki Kamada from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2016 until he left for Japan in 2017.

Many musicians from the Western Orchestra of Ananda College also play in the National Youth Orchestra of Sri Lanka. Currently there is an enrolment of 60+ players in the Western Orchestra of the Ananda College.

The current president and conductor of the orchestra is Uthsara Malaweera Arachchi. He is the principal bassoonist of the National Youth Orchestra of Sri Lanka and the Chamber Music Society of Colombo. 

He also performs with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka and the Colombo Wind Orchestra. He became the first Sri Lankan to hold an ATCL in Bassoon (Associate of the Trinity College of London) in nearly 50 years and is the only bassoonist in the island who currently holds that qualification.

The concert will also be conducted by Agraja Wijayawardhana, the principal saxophonist of the Western Orchestra. Dinura Liyanage will be conducting the Junior Orchestra. The concert will feature a wide array of music from different periods. The programme will feature works by L.V Beethoven, Franz Lehar, G. Bizet, Poulenc, E. Elgar, W.A. Mozart and Klaus Badelt. 

The concert will also feature special solo items by some of the most accomplished musicians in the orchestra.